Category Archives: Tasty Tours

The Wedding Date by Cara ConnellyA Save the Date NovellaReleasing November 19th, 2013

Blurb

Julie Marone isn’t your ordinary matchmaker. Instead of setting up singles, she matches already-happy couples with their dream homes. It’s her calling. Her gift. And since she lost the other half of her own happy couple, it’s become her passion.

Cody Brown isn’t your ordinary cowboy. Instead of roping runaway steers, he wrangles sick kids and strung-out junkies as an ER doc. It’s his job. His responsibility. And since his brother lost his wife to a drunk driver, it’s his mission.

When Cody moves from Austin to Boston, he wants Julie to find him a condo, and fast. But she’s got issues with that. Because not only is Cody single, he’s a doctor to boot, and ever since her fiancé died, she’s got a major grudge against doctors.

Cody charms her into breaking her “couples-only” rule, but when he angles to be her date for her sister’s Christmas Eve wedding, he finds out Julie’s “no-doctor” rule is unbending. Still, he’s not quitting, because as hard as Julie fights it, there’s heat between them. If Cody has his way, they’ll be a couple by Christmas, and the next dream house Julie finds will be their own.

Julie has a gift for matching couples to there perfect homes. When Cody stops in her office he needs a condo. She turns him down as she only works with couples. When he talks her into helping him out she does but she’s not happy about it. He is not part of a couple and even worst he is a doctor. Something in her past has made her hate all doctors. How will Cody breakdown her walls if he is hated by her for his profession? Cody is very attracted to Julie and really wants to get to know her better. With her doctor issue is it even worth it?

I like Cody and Julie. You can feel the chemistry jump off the pages. On one hand you can understand Julie’s issue with Doctors but since Cody was not even around can she really blame him also? Love how Cody slowly breaks down her walls one by one.

Author Info

Cara Connelly is an award-winning author of contemporary romances. Her smart and sexy stories have won high praise, earning Cara several awards including the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart, the Valley Forge Romance Writers’ Sheila, and the Music City Romance Writers’ Melody of Love. Cara lives in rural upstate New York with her handsome husband Billy and magical rescue dog Bella. Cara is proudly represented by Jill Marsal of the Marsal/Lyon Literary Agency.

Outside, a sleety December drizzle came down from a leaden sky. Cars shissed past, spraying sludge. She sprinted next door to the Plaza and marched straight up to the desk. “I’m looking for Dr. Brown,” she informed the pretty brunette with the “Ashley” nametag. “Can you ring his room?”

Ashley broke into a smile. “Oh, Cody’s not in his room. He went down the street to Starbucks.” Looking up over Julie’s shoulder, her smile widened. “Here he comes now. And he’s got my latte. Isn’t he sweet?” She sighed.

Julie turned around. And sure enough, here came Cody, swaggering across the ultra-opulent lobby, a dozen gilt-framed mirrors ricocheting his reflection off every wall. Even if she’d tried, she couldn’t escape the golden hair, the stubbly sun-kissed jaw. She couldn’t ignore the nut-hugger jeans that served up his package on a plate, and the battered leather jacket, unzipped to display a rain-spattered T-shirt plastered to his paving-stone abs.

Marian is a hunter of night creatures. She stalks and stakes vampires, isn’t afraid of the odd silver bullet if a werewolf turns rogue and is perfectly happy with her complete lack of social life. So when a staking goes wrong and she finds herself having to be rescued from a man she can’t seem to take her eyes off, she decides she may as well just go along for the ride. But Gabriel isn’t all that he seems. Attacked in the dead of night Marian must fight to retain her identity. If Gabriel can keep her alive long enough for them to get justice they might just realize that sometimes opposites attract in the best ways.

A librarian by day, author by night. There’s nothing better than curling up with a good book on a cold Australian winter night, especially one that I have written myself where I get to control every kiss and caress.

I write stories that make me laugh, because life needs a little humor and a lot of spice. My heroes are strong and my ladies know how to take charge, even if they get a little distracted along the way.

After nearly destroying each other’s careers, PI-intern Val LeRoy and seasoned Las Vegas P.I. Drake Morgan are forced to work together. If each had their way, they’d walk, but when threatened by a dangerous criminal who jeopardizes their lives and families, they put aside their differences to solve the case. As the hunt for the truth intensifies and their passion rivals the triple-digit temperature, Val and Drake learn why Las Vegas is the city that never sleeps….

Colleen Collins is an award-winning author who has written several dozen novels for Harlequin and Dorchester, as well as three indie nonfiction books on private investigations and one indie mystery, The Zen Man. When not sleuthing, Colleen loves spending time with her husband, the two of them watching one of their favorite sports teams, taking walks with their two Rottweilers (named Jack Nicholson and Aretha Franklin) and herding their three cats.

Ray Ferris is the first person to discover Amber Jackson’s naughty secret desires. While helping her move some boxes, he stumbles on her stash of erotic romances featuring ménages. Despite a strict company policy prohibiting co-workers from dating, Amber finds herself inexorably drawn to Ray. She’s never been attracted to a white man before, but his intriguing invitation to actually have sex with two men at one time captivates her imagination. When the barriers to their relationship are swept away, will Amber have the courage to finally act out her forbidden fantasy? And if she does, will the experience open doors to a whole new world, or cost her a chance at true love?

Amber enjoys reading ménage stories on her lunch break but no one knows about them or that her secret fantasy is to try re-creating the stories. When she can’t get her computer to work before a big meeting she asks Ray for help. After helping Ray offers to help move her boxes and stumbles across her books.

When they are alone he offers to help make her fantasy come true she is embarrassed and turned on at the same time. Ray has no idea what he is doing but he totally wants Amber. So if in order to get her he has to do something different he decides that it is worth it.Should she take him up on the offer? Truly will it be worth it in the end for either of them? Or will it tear apart even the friendship between them both?Very hot and sexy read!! Can’t wait for Pepper’s next book.

Author Info

Like most writers, I’ve worn quite a collection of hats over the years ~ voice actor, artist, bookkeeper, retail sales ~ but I’ve always wanted to be a writer. My biggest dream was to see my name on a book cover. Now, with the advent of e-publishing, the covers may be virtual, but the thrill of seeing my name on them is real. I am so humbled by the idea that my stories might draw in a reader and provide her an hour or two of entertainment.

I’ve been married to my best friend Tom for thirty years. Together we’ve raised two amazing sons, and recently welcomed our first grand daughter, Leona Mae. Most days you can find me at our family’s computer repair shop in a small town outside Portland, Oregon. At night I go home to my rambling fixer-upper in the woods and toil at my writing, assisted by a small menagerie of furry assistants.

I love it when a reader takes a moment to reach out and let me know what she thinks of my stories. I hope you’ll feel free to email me or leave a comment on my website.

Colin Hoskins, famous classical violinist, is tainted by his past. Angry at life, unable to move beyond the betrayal of his dead fiancé, he’s sworn off performing or falling in love ever again. All Colin wants is to be left alone, except no one listens. Especially the pretty little assistant he can’t fire and his body burns to claim.

Stranded in a foreign country, bankrupted heiress Ariel Parks needs a job to fund her way home. Assistant of sorts to the musician she’s fantasized about for years sounds like a dream job. She never imagined the gorgeous genius would be a reclusive beast. But the real problem is the way every nerve in her body tingles at the mention of his name.

Evie Knight writes wickedly sexy contemporary romances with irresistible bad boys, sassy heroines, a bit of conflict, humor and a dash of spice. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time blogging, reading, listening to music, or looking for a muse.

The long narrow hallway looked as lush as everything else in his house. Ariel looked at the spotless dark wood floors lined by warm sand colored walls accentuated with expensive paintings. She bet all were originals.

“Well, off you go.” The plump housekeeper motioned to the hallway. “He’s in his music studio.”

Ariel bit the inside of her cheek, doubting her decision. Maybe it’d be best to ask the older woman to show her in. She turned to ask, finding the woman no longer stood next to her. Ariel looked around hoping to find her, realizing she stood in the middle of the room alone. She took a deep breath, glancing up at the vast arched ceiling, feeling it swallow her whole.

All right, here goes nothing. Ariel adjusted the tote on her shoulder and walked down the hall, following the origin of the music, slowing down as she approached a half closed door from where the melody came. The notes to a Nirvana song filled her ears. She closed her eyes, allowing his music to hypnotize her how it always did. God. She loved his music.

Some people frowned upon classical crossovers like Colin. Ariel bet he didn’t give a shit what anyone thought of his musical arrangements. He was an artist playing for the love of music and nothing else. He’d probably continue to mix classical with Pop, Rock, and Metallica for as long as he lived.

She drummed her foot on the floor, her insides squealing. Her favorite musician played on the other side of the door. She bid her time, enjoying the music. As tempted as Ariel was to let him know she’d arrived for her first day of work, she didn’t want to interrupt.

When Colin finished playing the Nirvana song, Ariel took a step forward ready to announce her presence. Then, the strings with the first notes to a gypsy song halted her mid-step. Ariel leaned on the wall, closing her eyes once more to hear him play. She resisted the impulse to remove her shoes and dance to the gypsy melody in his hall. Damn, he could play.

“Are you going to come in or stand there all day?” he asked from inside the room.

His voice startled her. Shit. She opened her eyes. How did he know she’d been there all along? Ariel cleared her throat and walked in. “Hi. I-I was waiting…” She motioned to his instrument. A palpable tension filled the air the moment her gaze met his, drawing her to him. His black T-shirt and jeans gave him a dark angel aura.

He wore his hair down without a ponytail. Colin stood next to his music stand. His stubble denser, framing his face, giving his piercing eyes a darker caramel shade. Ariel cast her gaze to the large skull ring on his left pinky finger. The man was a hot rocker playing Mozart.

“Let me make something clear to you.” He raked a hand through his hair, securing a strand behind his ear. “No one walks through that door when I’m in here practicing. Any questions?” Colin placed the bow on the stand and set his violin in its case.

Ariel regained her composure. “No questions. However, I think we need to set some ground rules.” She crossed the room to the bay window opposite from him. “If I’m going to be your assistant, there are some things we can’t do.” She ran her index finger along the edge of the window then placed her tote on the side table next to it. “For starters—” She turned and bumped into his strong chest.

“Enlighten me,” Colin said.

Her heart skipped a beat as she lifted her gaze to him, lingering on his mouth before she met his eyes. Ariel fought the need to kiss him again. How would she ever pull this off when he looked at her with those eyes? Colin trapped her between the bay window and him. He hadn’t touched her yet, but the heat radiating from him being so close ensnared her all the same. Ariel shifted on her feet, trying to set an inch or two of distance between them.

“For starters what, Ariel?” Colin placed a hand on either side of her, making it harder for her to escape. At her silence, he asked, “Are you going to answer me?”

“This.” Ariel rested a hand on his chest, to push him away, his warmth burning her palm. “If we’re going to work together, there won’t be any touching.” Her fingertips tingled at the thrum of his heartbeat. Colin glanced at her hand on his chest. Shit. She curled her fingers into a fist. What was she doing feeling his hard muscles?

“You mean you don’t want me to touch you like this?” He gripped her waist, and she jerked at the unexpected contact.

The heat of his grasp on her waist seeped through the thin layer of her clothes, stirring her insides. “Yes.” She shook her head. “No.”

Colin angled his head, closing the distance. “What else?” he asked, his lips a breath away from hers.

OBSESSED with her job as a medical examiner and lead consultant with the FBI, Dr. Vivienne ‘Vivi’ DeMarco is a woman running from her own demons. And finding the remains of a body on the side of a road in rural upstate New York wasn’t part of her plan.

FRUSTRATED that the ghosts from his past won’t leave him alone, Ian MacAllister makes for a reluctant Deputy Chief of Police of Windsor, New York. But as more victims are discovered, all women that bear a shocking resemblance to Dr. DeMarco, he knows he’ll need to call on all the skills he learned as an Army Ranger if he wants to keep her safe.

DENIED over and over again of the one thing he desires most, a killer may have finally reached his breaking point. The only question that remains is, will he take Vivi and Ian with him?

I enjoyed this book by Tamsen.This book includes passion, laughs, heartache, kidnappings, murder, and betrayal.

Vivi is supposed to be on a leave of absence from work. When she pulls over to change a tire along the road of a small town she stumbles across a body. When the local Deputy Chief of Police, Ian is called to investigate he asks her to help out in the investigation.

As they investigate the crime more and more woman show up missing or dead with the same MO. Why do all the victims all resemble Vivi?

With them both battling demons of there past can they pull together and find a killer? Or will the killer find them first?

Love the chemistry between Vivi and Ian. It was nice to read about a strong independent woman that is also a little awkward around people she does not know. Ian is a strong protective man that is still battling his own demons. You feel his shame and hurt through the pages of the story. You got enough backstory’s of the other characters that you understood them and they didn’t come off as boring. Hope a few of the other characters get there own story as I would love to get to know a few others in this story. Maybe Nick? Just saying….

A very good read. You don’t feel as if the story was dragging or rushed it moved along at just the right pace. Can’t wait for Tamsen’s next book!

Contact Info for Tamsen Schultz

About Tamsen

Tamsen Schultz is the author of The Puppeteer and “American Kin” (a short story published in Line Zero Magazine) and is a three-time finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association annual competition. She worked in the field of international conflict resolution and co-founded a non-profit prior to attending law school. Since graduating, she has worked as a corporate attorney and, like most real lawyers, she spends a disproportionate amount of time thinking about what it might be like to do something else. She lives in Northern California in a house full of males including her husband, two sons, a cat, a dog, and a gender-neutral, but well-stocked, wine rack. A Tainted Mind is her second novel and her third, These Sorrows We See, is tentatively scheduled for release in late 2013.

Excerpt:“You gotta be kidding me.” Ian crossed his arms and stared at the board. The newly updated board of death. They’d started with eighteen women, three confirmed dead and the other fifteen missing. The last time Ian had looked at the board, Carly had eliminated five of the victims, bringing the number down to thirteen women who fit the profile.

This board had twenty-one women on it. Girls, some of them. And went back over fifteen years.

“There were a few earlier than this woman, or, uh, girl,” Carly corrected herself, pointing to the first picture on the board. Amanda Corlis, seventeen, found raped, strangled, and murdered in a summer resort town in southern Maine. She was probably getting ready to go to college. “But they only had one or two similarities so I didn’t include them,” she added.

“Shit.” Ian ran his good hand over his face. “So, how many of these women are missing and how many confirmed dead?” Ian couldn’t believe he was hearing those words out of his mouth. This wasn’t Afghanistan, asking for “confirmed dead,” while standing here in his small, quiet town was more than surreal.“Ten in total are confirmed dead. The remaining eleven are missing, presumed dead,” Marcus answered. His voice sounded about how Ian felt.“And do we have the files?” Vivienne asked.

Carly nodded. “I was able to track down everyone I needed yesterday, and we have all but one, but that one should be here today.”They all stared at the board for a long, silent moment. Ian thought about turning to Vivienne and asking that she call in the Bureau. But as he studied the board, a pattern emerged in his mind. A plan.

“We need timelines,” Ian said.

His officers looked at him with a combination of curiosity and eagerness in their expressions. Vivienne’s face said something more along the lines of “you know what we need to do, now tell us.” That she didn’t bother to hide that little bit of “I told you so” brought a faint smile to his lips.“A couple of timelines. Of the women we know are dead, we need to know when they went missing and the estimated times of death,” Ian continued.“To get an idea of how long he holds them,” Marcus interjected, speaking more to himself than anyone else.

“But we also need to know more about where they were last seen. If they were seen at a bar on Friday night and reported missing on Saturday, we’ll have a more reliable sense of when the clock started ticking for them,” Ian kept talking.

“But if they went missing from somewhere where it’s harder to lock down a time, like if they went camping by themselves or something like that, then we need to take that into consideration,” Carly added, catching on.

Ian nodded. “We also need to know where they went missing from and where the bodies were found. If there is any pattern there, it might give us an idea of how far he takes them from the grab sites. And it might also help us know where to look for the other women, depending on what we find.” Both Carly and Marcus moved into action—pulling up their computers, calling off dates and locations, examining the files.

“Ian?” Vivienne’s voice held a note of concern.

He swiveled his eyes from his officers to Vivienne. He could tell by the look on her face that she’d seen the same pattern on the board he had. He gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“And folks, I hate to say this, but I think we need to work fast,” Ian added. Both heads shot up. “When he started his spree, he went after about one woman a year for several years,” Ian continued. “But in recent years, his attacks have been getting closer and closer together. If all these women really are his victims, a few years ago he went after two a year. Then there were the three in Boston, all in one year. After that, it looks like there might have been a short break for some reason, but he picked up again a little less than a year ago, and since then he’s already gone after two, with Rebecca being the most recent.”

“What does that mean? Other than the obvious, I mean,” Marcus asked.

“It means that he is devolving,” Vivienne answered. “Whatever it is that’s driving him is becoming more and more of an obsession. To the extent he’s losing control over it.”

Ninkasi Mara didn’t plan to celebrate her university graduation entangled in a bungled kidnapping meant for her father, a corrupt senator in the pocket of Techthonic Innovations. Locked alone in the gilded tower of Chateau Bernadette, Ninkasi fears its opulent pleasures will erode her will until she collapses into the comforting arms of the mysterious masked man who frequents her chamber with vintage wines and sumptuous dinners.

For more than twenty years, Orion has plotted the perfect revenge. Manipulating the hand of an insurrectionist faction, he intends to settle a shadowy score with Techthonic Innovations, a biotech giant with a history of dubious experiments. When the faction’s amateurs fail to return with the senator, they further complicate Orion’s task by returning instead with a woman who is a painful reminder of a love lost long ago. Torn between risking the secrecy of the faction and a maelstrom of emotion, Orion secretly visits her chamber in disguise.

When Orion disappears, Ninkasi is dragged into the search and rescue mission. To find him, she must learn the truth of his secrets about his hatred for the company and the physical anomalies he tries to hide. The answers await discovery in a terrifying alternate world beneath her feet in which human sacrifice is the least of her worries.

Doctors suspect Brie developed an overactive imagination during childhood to cope with the expansive corn maze known as rural Pennsylvania. Unable to afford an operation to have the stories surgically removed from her brain, she opted instead to write them down.

Brie currently lives in British Columbia with her boyfriend and naughty black cat, somewhere not too far from the sea. She enjoys trips to the local farm, chatting with her long-distance friends on a rotary phone, and roflstomping video games from the nineties.

The last person PhD candidate Mina Cavallari expects to meet on her research trip to London is the sexy financier whose rejection devastated her. But Sebastian Graham is even more irresistible than he was two years ago, and she’s no longer the innocent girl shocked at his indulgent pursuit of physical pleasure. Now she’s ready to embark on a love affair on her terms—and is using every possible moment to live out her fantasies. Sebastian is more than happy to help Mina make her passionate dreams a reality. But he wants more, luring her into a search for a mysterious, underworld club where they can explore all of their sexual desires. He needs Mina completely at his mercy, and, unlike two years ago, this time he may not let her go

Sabrina Darby has been reading romance since the age of seven and learned her best vocabulary (dulcet, diaphanous, and turgid) from them. The day after her wedding she woke up with an idea for a novel and she’s been writing romance ever since. She is the author of On These Silken Sheets, The Short and Fascinating Tale of Angelina Whitcombe and Entry-Level Mistress.

There’s a legend in Twilight, Texas. It says that if on Christmas you sleep with kismet cookies under your pillow and dream of your one true love, he will be your destiny.

Carrie, Raylene, Christine, and Flynn are all members of the Christmas Cookie Club. Each has a story to tell, and each discovers the miracles of the season and the power of love.

Carrie: Reconnects with her high school sweetheart . . .the only man she’s ever loved.

Raylene: Discovers that the daughter she gave away at birth is living right in Twilight . . .

Christine: Has given up on love . . . until the man of her dreams walks through her shop door.

Grace: It’s Christmas Eve and Flynn and Jesse Calloway are thrilled to be expecting a new baby. Then Flynn’s car hits a patch of ice, and Jesse must move earth . . . and heaven . . .to save her and their unborn child.

I enjoyed this book by Lori.This book sweet romance, laughs, heartache, and a missing wife.

Carrie:

Carrie MacGregor and Mark Leland were high school sweethearts who ran off to get married.After they returned to the town pressure made Carrie ask for an annulment.Mark left for college and has not been back for eight years.He is coming back to town to shoot a TV show that is trying to prove if the legend of the town is fact of fiction.Is there still an attraction between the two?Or have they moved on?

Raylene:

Raylene was young and thought the best thing for her daughter was to give her up.When her husband finds out he leaves her.Now she is alone and heartbroken.When she finds her daughter she is grateful and happy but still feels the guilt about giving her up.This story also contains a side story of her daughter, Shannon and Nate.

Christine:

Christine a bakery owner is closing one night when a man from her past comes into the shop.She is surprised he remembers her.He needs a cake and arranges for her to deliver it for his daughter’s birthday.After spending time with him she realizes she still has a crush.Does he feel anything for her?

Grace:

Flynn is pregnant with Jesse’s baby when they are pulled over one night.After the police take Jesse in for questioning and she start home something happens that causes her to lose control of the car.When Jesse finally comes home and the house is empty he is frantic.Will he be able to find Flynn and if he does will she be okay?

Lori’s characters are very believable and real.They have awkward moments and are caught unaware so it not just the same story.You get new characters with a past you learn about with everyone of them.I always feel she fills in all the areas you need to know about the characters that if you met them you would be wondering about anyway.So in a sense you feel as if you know them and might one day sit and have conversions with one of them.

Very good read.

Contact Info for Lori Wilde

About Lori:

LORI WILDE is the New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty books. A former RITA finalist, Lori has received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers’ Choice, and numerous other honors.She lives in Texas, with her husband and a wide assortment of pets. Lori teaches Romance Writing Secrets via the internet through colleges and universities worldwide at www.ed2g.com. Visit her at www.loriwilde.comor @LoriWilde on Twitter.

Down at the Horny Toad Tavern off Highway 377 in Twilight, Texas, Elvis Presley was singing, “Blue Christmas.”The jukebox music sounded tinny and faraway as it bled through the door into the crisp night air. Weather reports predicted temperatures would slide below freezing by morning, and listeners had been urged to bring in plants and pets. No holiday lights decorated the building as they had in previous years. Other then Elvis’s mournful tune, the establishment gave no hint that Christmas was on the way. Only a few cars sat in the parking lot, sparse for a Saturday night, but most of the hamlet’s denizens were out celebrating the annual Dickens on the Square.In the thick of darkening shadows from the cedar copse rimming the outskirts of the parking lot, a silent figure in a red suit, long white beard, and shiny black boots waited, watching the back entrance of the tavern, hungry to catch a glimpse of one person in particular.After an interminable half-hour, shortly before midnight, the rear door to the Horny Toad opened, hinges creaking in the cold and letting out the strain of the Eagles singing “Please Come Home for Christmas.”The watcher tensed, heart pounding and wind-burned hands fisted inside the pockets of the Santa costume.A woman appeared. Once upon a time she’d possessed beautiful blond hair, but now it had grown steely gray. The watcher’s breath caught. She had stopped dying her hair.She carried a black garbage bag, heavy with clanking bottles, and started toward the Dumpster, her movements graceful as always. Years ago she’d been a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader and she’d kept her slender, hourglass figure even into her sixth decade of life. But instead of the mini-skirts she usually favored because she had the most sensational legs of any woman in town no matter what their age, she wore oversized blue jeans and a gray wool sweater with a saggy hem.The watcher’s tongue moistened parched tips. Wishing. Wishing for so many things. Wishing, but unable to make those dreams come true. You couldn’t turn back the clock, no matter how hard you might try. Redemption was so close and yet so far away.The garbage bag made a muffled thumping sound when it landed in the Dumpster. The air smelled of juniper and wood smoke. She dusted her hands and turned toward the bar. Her breath came out in frosty puffs. The moonlight caught her face. Her eyes were worn thin, exhausted.The watcher shifted in the darkness, gut twisting. Don’t go. Stay. Stay so I can see you for just a little while longer. One last time.She paused and looked out into the darkness, her face a portrait of abject bleakness.A lump blocked the watcher’s throat.The woman shook her head, pushed open the door. Roy Orbison was singing “Pretty Paper.” Sad songs. All sad Christmas songs. She stepped inside, the door snapping shut behind her.A single chilly tear tracked down the watcher’s cheek. Gone. Everything once loved and taken for granted was now forever gone.

Their wedding might be fake, but there’s no faking the mutual attraction.

Dr. Caroline Graham is happy with her nomadic lifestyle fulfilling short-term medical contracts. No emotional commitments, no disappointments. She’s always the one to walk away, never the one left behind.

But now her great-uncle is gone and her grandmother is on her deathbed, more concerned about Caroline’s lack of a husband than her own demise. What’s the harm in a little white lie? If a wedding will give her grandmother peace, then a wedding she shall have.

Travis Montgomery has one dream left—to build the ranch he and his wife planned before he lost her to cancer. There’s just one thing standing between him and the last bit of acreage he needs—a last living heir who has one traveling foot out the door…and an unusual request that challenges his determination to never again place his heart at risk.

The land he wants in exchange for a faux marriage. Everyone wins. Until things start to snowball…and the hearts they stand to lose are their own.

Warning: This book contains a tortured widower who doesn’t want a wife and an independent doctor who doesn’t want a husband. Hot stuff between the sheets and failed efforts to avoid emotional involvements.

Cynthia D’Alba started writing on a challenge from her husband in 2006 and discovered having imaginary sex with lots of hunky men was fun. Her first book, Texas Two Step, released in 2012 to outstanding reviews, was a Samhain Publishing best seller. The second book in the Texas Montgomery Mavericks series, Texas Tango, will be released by Samhain Publishing in November 2013.In February, 2014, Texas Fandango, a Novella in the Texas Montgomery Series will be released by Samhain Publishing. She is currently at work on book 3 of the Texas Montgomery Mavericks series (Texas Twist).

She has stories in two anthologies released this year…Smoking Hot Firemen (Something’s Burning) in July 2013 and the Mammoth Book of Medical Romance (Wake Me When It’s Over) in September 2013. She’ll have a story in Cowboy Heat (Back Stage Pass) coming in 2014.She holds a Bachelor Degree in Nursing, a Master Degree in Business Administration, a Master Degree Curriculum and Instruction and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration.